Super Special: Senior Year
by Magenta513
Summary: The Baby-Sitters Club is finally entering their senior year of high school. Who will they become in this final year together and will their friendship survive college applications, crushes, and competitions? This story focuses on the original five baby sitters.
1. Dawn 1

**Author's Note** : We all have ideas about what the girls from the Baby-Sitters Club were like in high school. This story is who I think they became. I hope you enjoy it

 **Disclaimer** : These characters belong to the talented Ann M. Martin

* * *

I did not move across the country for a guy.

That isn't something I do. It isn't the action of a girl like me. Casual. Independant. Moving across the country for a guy is the action of Boy Crazy Stacey or Mary Anne the romantic. My passion isn't found in the opposite sex. It's found in causes. I fight for animal rights and saving the environment.

Like all of my greatest decisions, the idea to move back to Connecticut happened on a whim. Dad and I were drinking smoothies at the kitchen table. The fresh strawberries tasted like home. And like that, the icy strawberries and bananas still lingering in my mouth, I said the words I'd repeated time and time again over the years.

"I want to move back to Connecticut."

Connecticut, California. California, Connecticut.

Back and forth.

It seemed I had stopped moving once high school hit. I went back to Connecticut for the holidays once or twice, but then things changed. Mom and Mary Anne started taking family trips. Jeff and I flew out to meet them. A winter wonderland in Aspen. Spring Break in San Francisco. Sometimes Richard came, sometimes he worked. We became a family on those vacations. Mary Anne and I stayed up late. She told me about Logan and her life in Stoneybrook. I told her about my crusades at school. The protests Sunny and I organized. Mom called both of us her "daughters" and it felt right.

It wasn't sunshine and salt water, but it was nice.

I didn't say these things to dad. How could I?

I told him about the reputation of Stoneybrook high school. I pleaded the case of the bicoastal teen. College admissions teams would be intrigued by a Connecticut teen who wanted to study Environmental Studies.

I think Jeff was the sorriest to see me go, but he understood the lure of Stoneybrook. It was a time capsule to simpler times.

"Maybe," he said, "we'll actually have a Connecticut Thanksgiving this year."

Tofurkey in Connecticut?

I had to laugh.

Before I left, I sent a single letter.

* * *

I only arrived in Connecticut two days before the start of school. The school year starts a lot earlier on the East Coast than it does in California. Mom met me at the airport, and then I slept. My clothes were still in suitcases. Tigger curled up inside of an open suitcase, his fur getting all over my sundresses. I wouldn't be wearing sundresses for a while. I had forgotten how crisp the air was in Connecticut.

I was up early for my first day of school. Two days of sleep was the secret to outsmarting jetlag. You learn a few things when you're a bicoastal kid. I took a long shower...long for me. Quick showers are one of the key things we can do to conserve water. Still, long hair needs to be washed, and the first day of school is a fashion show on every coast. I wondered, not for the first time, about the friends I hadn't seen in years. I only saw them through Mary Anne's memories. Through her words and her photos. Would they be happy to see me?

I missed Sunny.

Getting dressed was easy. Faded jeans that hung low on my hips. An off-white peasant top that looked creamy against my California tan. I put on a peace sign necklace, smiling as I remembered my "I'm awesome" necklace. I slipped on my Birkenstocks and let my hair air dry. I went into the kitchen for breakfast.

Richard was the only one awake. He was putting some papers in his briefcase, preparing to leave for the day. A steaming thermos of coffee sat on the table beside him. I could smell an unfamiliar aroma in the kitchen.

Bacon.

"You're up early." Richard's version of good morning.

"I like breakfast."

"I would have made you some eggs," he paused, "do you eat eggs?"

I looked in the kitchen and saw the dirty dishes. Richard had only cooked for one. There was a half pot of coffee waiting for my sister. Mom would sleep in. She worked part time these days.

"Sometimes," I opened the fridge and poked around, "but I think I'll go for scrambled tofu this morning."

The look of horror on his face was priceless.

He wished me luck on my first day of school, and gave me an awkward hug. I like Richard, but I was glad when he left. I needed a few moments of privacy. Cooking could be a form of meditation. I thought about my herb garden back home as I chopped some veggies. I would have to find a farmer's market and turn a small piece of this kitchen into my own. I ignored the pot of coffee in lieu of some green tea with lemon.

I was nearly finished with my breakfast, when Mary Anne appeared in the kitchen. I expected a rush of motion, but that would never describe my sister. She poured herself a cup of coffee and grabbed a yogurt from the fridge. She sat across from me and smiled.

Once upon a time, Mary Anne's breakfast would be as extravagant as Richard's. Eggs and bacon. Toast and butter. Then, sometime around tenth grade, puberty hit Mary Anne with a vengeance. She was short with curves. She didn't have the metabolism of Claudia or the athletic drive of Kristy. She turned to my mom for eating tips and took to calorie counting. She was opening an organizer while she ate, writing "yogurt and coffee" in her neat handwriting.

"Would you like a smoothie?" I offered. Mary Anne looked down at her watch and shook her head.

"We have to leave in nine minutes. Are you ready?"

"I'm not sure," I answered truthfully. After speaking, I realized that Mary Anne was not asking about my emotional state. She simply didn't want to be late to school. "I just have to fix my hair," I promised. I quickly braided my still damp hair into a loose braid. I didn't tie it at the end; it simply hung down my back.

"Will you be cold?" Mary Anne asked, pouring some coffee into a yellow thermos. She didn't add any creamer or sugar.

I reviewed Mary Anne's outfit. After all these years, her clothes weren't too far off from what she wore a child. Her plaid skirt was pale blue and white. It fell a bit above her knees. High enough to be trendy, but low enough to be tasteful. Her sweater was pale blue with a v neck. A white collared shirt peeked out from beneath the sweater. Her white mary janes had a small heal. She wore a simple silver ring on her left ring finger, a present from Logan. Her dark brown hair was no longer in pigtails or cut short. She grew out her hair until it became a classic bob, falling just around her chin. A pale blue headband rested in her hair.

No one would dress like this in California. In California, the preppy look was tinged with irony. The skirts too short. The sweaters too tight. Mary Anne was the picture of sincerity. Even her makeup was impeccable. If I was California Casual, Mary Anne was Stoneybrook Serious.

"I'll be fine," I assured her. Still, I threw a Disneyland sweatshirt into my backpack. Also, at the last minute, I grabbed a thin silver bangle bracelet.

As I slipped the bracelet on, I felt my heart skip a beat.

 _"I saw this and thought of you."_

 _The bracelet was hot from the sun as he slipped it onto my wrist. He ran his fingers over my arm. Goosebumps raced over my skin. I looked away from the bracelet and fell into his eyes. They were the color of a tiger's eye. Brown and bright, with shimmers of amber._

* * *

Our drive to school was uneventful. Richard had given Mary Anne a car for her sixteenth birthday. It was reliable and safe. She was only to drive it within Stoneybrook city limits. The driver's seat was pushed forward, and Mary Anne hunched over the steering wheel as she drove. She never went over the speed limit and stopped for every yellow light. We arrived at school almost half an hour early. Mary Anne parked next to a red BMW convertible. The license had New York plates.

I knew exactly who it belonged to.

Mary Anne and I gathered our bags and walked toward the school. It was an odd sensation. My old high school was outdoors. We never had snow days in California. Stoneybrook High was indoors. It looked like any high school that you would see in any movie. It felt unfamiliar and cold.

"Dawn!" A heard my name in the distance and turned. A blur of color ran in our direction and threw her arms around me.

Claudia.

She pulled away and looked me over, her dark brown eyes shining with warmth. She was the same old Claudia. She wore a short hot pink skirt over neon yellow leggings. Her top was a white sweatshirt, cut to reveal her shoulders. In hot pink writing, the sweatshirt said "Art Rulz!" On her feet, she wore white sneakers covered with hot pink hearts. White heart earrings were in one ear, and a yellow paintbrush earring was in the other. She had chunky pink highlights in her black hair. I wondered what came first, the outfit or the hair. In her nose, there sat a small ring.

Trust Claudia to get a nose ring.

"We were so thrilled to hear you were coming back," another voice said. Stacey. She sounded less New York than I remembered, and a little more Connecticut. In my mind we were the two blondes, but I was amazed to realize how dark her hair really looked. It was blonde, yes, but a rich golden blonde. Her hair was the color of honey. She still wore her hair in big curls, though I suspected she had outgrown the perms. Stacey was classically Stacey, the only girl I knew who would wear a little black dress to school. Her earrings were diamonds and her lips were red. She was thin, and I briefly considering inquiring about her health.

"Why did you come back again?" A third voice, blunt as ever, asked. Kristy may have been the one to change the most. Not physically, she never developed the curves of Mary Anne or my height. However she no longer wore jeans or turtlenecks. Her new uniform consisted of slacks and button down tops. She favored low ponytails and even wore a bit of mascara. Some things though, never changed. She was the shortest of the group and somehow the most intimidating

Why did I move back?

"I missed you guys!" I replied to Kristy, giving each girl a hug. We linked arms and walked into school together.

Yes, I moved back to Connecticut for my family. I moved back to improve my grades. I moved back because I was going stir crazy.

I glanced down at my silver bracelet.

I did not move across the country for a guy.


	2. Claudia 1

**Author's Note:** This is a short chapter, a snapshot into the mind of Claudia.

 **Disclaimer** : These characters belong to the talented Ann M. Martin

* * *

I've never fit in the world.

It's like, Stoneybrook is a bag of Skittles. All of the Skittles are different. Some, like Kristy, are red. Others, like my sister, are orange. Even Stacey, who can't eat sugar, is a Skittle. Then there's Claudia. I'm a lonely M&M who was put with the Skittles by mistake. The Skittles can't tell. On the outside we look the same. But if you keep a bag of Skittles under the bed for too long, they won't melt. The M&M? It becomes a chocolatey mess.

In seventh grade Stacey came to town, and everything changed. Three turned to four, and our group made sense. It was always Kristy and Mary Anne...and Claudia. Now it was Kristy and Mary Anne and Claudia and Stacey. Stacey and I were mature. Our differences didn't matter, we were still two of a kind. When Dawn joined our group, this didn't change. Dawn was one of them. Stacey and I were the boy crazy ones. The ones who cared about clothes. They were kids and we were teenagers.

We started high school and everything changed.

My friends and I went in different directions. Kristy, Mary Anne, and Stacey were all on the same track. Good grades. College. They took honors classes together. They signed up for clubs. Kristy tried to pull us all into student government. "We can run the school, just like we ran the Baby-Sitters Club!" Mary Anne and Stacey took the bait. I tried, but I didn't have the grades. I hid in art class with Ashley while my friends stayed together.

Two brown heads and one blonde.

They started to study together.

They invited me. Stace always cheerful calling out my name. Mary Anne leaving invitations in my locker. I went once.

It was just like talking to Janine.

They talked math and science. I drew pictures.

All of my friends are colors and images. Everything in the world is.

Kristy is an autumn leaf, a vibrant orange leaf with red speckles splattered throughout. She is the leaf that floats the in the wind, the one that will not land. You chase the leaf until it takes you somewhere unexpected. And then when it's ready, the leaf stops. It won't move again until it's ready.

Mary Anne is a light drizzle of rain. She is refreshing and soft. She is so light that you can forget she's there. It's easy to not see her. Until one day the light drizzle goes away, and you realize how hot the world is without the rain.

Stacey is a flurry of snow. She is the hint of what's to come. She is a relic from another world. She is the cold before the winter. The taste of a world outside of Stoneybrook. She's fragile, like the snow. She has to be careful about everything. But you'd never know by looking at her. When you see Stacey, all you see is the flurry of greatness.

They all ran for Student Council last year. Kristy ran for president, Mary Anne as secretary, and Stacey as treasurer. I made all of the signs. Red for Kristy, light blue for Mary Anne, silver and gold for Stacey.

They all won.

* * *

The first day of senior year was different. We were together. It was eighth grade again. Our sunshine was back. Dawn is white and gold, bright and shining.

Dawn was all tan skin, long legs, and white blonde hair. She didn't dress like Kristy, Mary Anne, or Stacey. She wasn't dressed to impress.

"I love your nose ring," she said to me, bumping a shoulder against mine.

I felt triumphant. When I showed them the nose ring this summer, my friends were not fans. Stacey told me it looked very "punk", in a tone that implied this was not a compliment. Kristy told me it looked stupid. Sweet Mary Anne told me that it looked "nice", all the while refusing to meet my eyes. My parents hated it. Janine simply shook her head.

"I love your bracelet," Stacey said, reaching for Dawn's wrist. Dawn changed before my eyes. She shifted from sunshine to a sunset. Red, purple, yellow, and orange. Lovely and mysterious and only there for a brief moment.

"I never thought," Stacey continued, "that I'd ever see Dawn Schafer in designer jewelry."

Designer? What happened to California Casual?

"When do we get our class schedule?" Dawn wondered.

"Homeroom," Kristy told her, "maybe you'll be in classes with me, Mary Anne, and Stace."

Dawn glanced in my direction, but I kept my face impassive. I was used to being treated like the outsider. The group mascot.

"You and I are in homeroom together," Mary Anne told Dawn in a soft voice, "it's alphabetical. We all signed up for honors classes this year."

All eyes turned toward me.

"Claud was one of the few students accepted into honors art," Stacey beamed.

Another way that I was different.

Art class wasn't school, not really. If school was a photograph, art class was a watercolor. It's layered and textured. Art class is colorful and ever changing. Sometimes it's blurry and strange, but it's always beautiful. No one is a Skittle in art class. We're Jolly Ranchers and Jawbreakers and Gummy Worms. We paint with brushes and fingers. We leave class with paint in our hair. We don't wear designer clothes because clothes are temporary.

Everything is temporary.

Only art is real.

I'm not going to college next year. I'm not sure if I'll graduate this year. It doesn't matter. My friends will graduate and start their new lives. We'll say our goodbyes and we'll drift apart. We won't be a rainbow anymore. We'll be on our own. Kristy will blow in the wind until she finds her next great idea. Stacey will go to school in New York. Mary Anne will follow Logan to whichever school gives him a football scholarship. Dawn will take the sunshine back to California where it belongs.

And me? I'll just paint.

I'll sculpt.

I'll find beauty in the world and bring it to life.

Because if I stay under the bed with the rest of the Skittles, I'll melt away until I'm nothing more than a chocolatey mess.


	3. Stacey 1

**Author's Note:** A big thank you to my reviewers! As a fanfic writer, you never know if people will connect with your version of characters. I'm glad you're along for the ride. My Stacey is a little different from others that I've read - I hope you like her.

 **Disclaimer** : These characters belong to the talented Ann M. Martin

* * *

I don't like meal times.

Every other time of the day, I can do anything. I can conquer the world.

I'm smart. I'm stylish. I'm sophisticated. I'm hot.

It's the winning lottery combo of high school. Maybe of life.

Then food comes along and I remember that I didn't win the lottery. Not even a little bit.

* * *

"This meeting of the Baby-Sitters Club is now in session!" Kristy said, banging a gavel on a cafeteria table.

"Where did you get a gavel?" Claudia asked while chewing on a Snickers bar.

Those used to be my favorites.

"You guys do meetings at lunch now?" Dawn asked.

"We're not the Baby-Sitters Club anymore," I looked down at my lunch and reached for a lone carrot.

"We're still friends, and as your club president -"

"Friend," I cut Kristy off.

"Class president," she paused and glanced at me. I looked over at Claud. She was rolling her eyes behind Kristy. I grinned

"Friend and class president," I agreed.

"As your friend and class president," Kristy continued, "I think it's important that we discuss our goals for the year."

"Kristy, why can't we just enjoy lunch?" Mary Anne asked, making a note in her organizer. When Mary Anne started her healthy eating lifestyle, I thought it would make things easier for me. Sometimes it does. When the four of us go out, she'll split a healthy dish with me, while Claudia and Kristy devour meals made entirely of sugar. Then Claudia will order dessert and the others will follow. Mary Anne will write "ice cream sandwich" in her little organizer, while I'm stuck with an apple slice and reminded of my own mortality.

"Because," Kristy explained, "enjoying lunch would mean admitting that I'm eating human brains covered in blood."

Mary Anne turned green, Claudia pushed her tray away. I nibbled at my carrot stick.

"You could bring lunch," Dawn suggested, taking a bite of what appeared to be seaweed.

"Nah," Kristy shook her head, taking a bite of what I think was meant to be beef stroganoff.

For the moment, it seemed as though we moved past our goals. I dug through my lunch bag for a salad. There was diced chicken throughout the salad. In another container sat a few cherry tomatoes. I had tested my blood sugar before lunch, and I was in luck. I could add extra tomatoes to my salad.

My diabetes has gotten worse.

"I'll start!" Kristy suddenly announced.

"This better not be about your lunch," Mary Anne still looked a bit green.

"As you all know, I have a drive to succeed in business. It's why I said farewell to my jeans and turtlenecks."

"Thank the Lord for that," Claudia laughed.

"It's why I ran for student council president, on a platform of making every member of our graduating class college ready!"

"Every member?" Dawn chuckled, "you're going to magically give everyone an A?"

"Furthermore," Kristy was on a roll, "I want to guarantee myself admission to a school worthy of me. This is why I will focus all of my attention on one school. Yale. it's proximity to my family and reputation make it the perfect choice for me. I will be applying early admission, and they will have to accept me. After all, what other applicants will have founded their own business at the age of twelve?"

I took a long sip of water. The reality of the Baby-Sitters Club could never match up to the grand vision in Kristy's mind. I think the rest of us knew that. I also knew that Yale's early admission program was very competitive. They were unlikely to accept more than one student from SHS.

"Mary Anne," Kristy looked at her oldest friend. Mary Anne turned the color of my cherry tomatoes. "We all know that you will be going to college with your sweetheart, the one and only Logan Bruno. While I would never recommend basing your future on some boy, I think we can all agree that his acceptable grades and athletic ability will land him a scholarship to a respectable university."

"He wants to go somewhere in the south," Mary Anne said in a small voice.

"Duke would be a fine college for you!" Kristy beamed.

"Do you want to live in the south?" Dawn wondered, pushing her white blonde hair off of her face.

How I would look with white blonde highlights?

"Dawn!" Kristy smiled, "you are my wild card. We all know you'll study the environment, but then why did you come here? All of the best schools for you are clearly in California."

"I could stand out more if I'm here?" Dawn's tone suggested that this was a question.

"Absolutely!" Kristy's eyes lit up, "perhaps you could start an Environmental Club here at Stoneybrook High!"

"That's not a bad idea," Dawn's blue eyes shot open with delight, "we could set up a recycling zone in the cafeteria. And do recycling based fundraisers."

"Another great idea! Mary Anne, write that down." Mary Anne did not write any of this down. "As for Claudia, I think we should put together a portfolio for you to send to schools."

"A portfolio for what?" Claudia's mouth opened in surprise. Her tongue was purple from the lollipop she was eating.

"We can set up a meeting for later this week and go through your art. We can find the best style and focus on that. Mary Anne, check the calendar."

Mary Anne paused. I was sure that she wanted to remind Kristy that we were no longer the Baby-Sitters Club and she didn't have everyone's schedule memorized. In some ways would always be the same Mary Anne, so instead she looked down at her organize. She knew Kristy would move on.

"Stacey! I know you'll do great at Columbia, all we need to do is get you there."

"What about NYU?" Mary Anne looked up from her organizer.

"Columbia will be a much better choice for Stacey. Better reputation, better location, and I think it suits Stacey better. I do wonder if they have a fashion program for Stacey. Have you looked into that?"

My mouth was filled with salad, so I shook my head.

The bell rang and Kristy shot up. Somehow, during all of her taking, Kristy had managed to finish her entire meal. Perhaps that's what she should write her admission essay about. My friends all gathered their trays and lunch bags and set off for class. I had Advanced French, none of them would be in class with me.

For once, my isolation would be a good thing.

I didn't know how to tell Kristy that she was wrong. Columbia would make a lot of sense for me. Fashion would be a great thing for me to study. I didn't want either of those things.

* * *

After school, I drove my red BMW to my old side of town, SMS. A slightly awkward brunette grinned as she hopped into my car.

"Hi Stacey."

"Hey Char, how's SMS?"

"It's okay, Jessi thinks Becca should join the dance club, but…" Charlotte trailed off.

"Yeah…" I thought about Kristy, "I understand."

I didn't babysit much, but Charlotte had always been more than a babysitting charge. We made a point to get together once a week, even for an hour. I think she needed an older sister sometimes, and let's face it, I liked being a mentor.

And okay, maybe I needed a little sister too.

Someone who saw me as more than I could ever be.

"I talked to mom for you," Charlotte smiled softly.

Someone who knew my biggest secret. Something I hadn't told anyone else. Not my friends. Not my parents.

"What did she say?"

I could trust Charlotte with my future.

"She told me to invite you for dinner, next week?"

"Yes," I didn't need to look at my calendar, "I'll make any day work for your mom."

* * *

My diabetes continues to decline. Every year it seems as though my health is worse and worse.

I want to help people. I want to make sure others don't suffer throughout their adolescence as I suffered.

I'm going to study medicine. I'm going to be a doctor.

And I don't want to go to school in New York.

I've already started filling out my application.

I want to go to Yale.


	4. Mary Anne 1

**Author's Note:** Mary Anne took a little longer to write. In part because of my own crazy life, in part because she doesn't know herself as well as Claudia or Stacey yet. Kristy is next, and she's my biggest struggle. Of the core five, she's the one I always identified with the least. Wish me luck!

 **Disclaimer** : These characters belong to the talented Ann M. Martin

* * *

I follow my schedule to the letter.

6:30 - Wake up

I like mornings. There's peace and excitement in the air.

Dad has breakfast early. Lately Dawn does too. I don't join them. I made the decision to focus on my appearance rather than food.

I shower for fifteen minutes. I like hot water. I use a soft lilac soap. Logan is a fan.

Sometimes I use almond soap. It isn't Logan's favorite.

Ten minutes getting dressed. Skirt or slacks. Plain or plaid. My style is classic and simple. I save the sizzle for under the sweater. Black or red. Lace or satin. A little hint of spice, safely buried under my public persona.

I do my own laundry.

Fifteen minutes for hair and makeup. Black eyeliner with thick mascara. Natural lipstick with a soft hint of pink. Clear lipgloss. Cover Up and concealer. I think I wear more makeup than Stacey. I know I wear more than Claud.

If I wear eye makeup, I'm less likely to cry.

My mascara is still waterproof.

Ten minutes for breakfast. Dawn has a smoothie waiting for me. I worried that living together would be difficult, but so far it's been nice. No secret passages filled with ghosts.

Every morning the same. Different outfits, different smoothies, but same Mary Anne.

I like the routine. I trust routine.

Dawn and I drive to school, and then I take a break from my schedule. I follow the school schedule. Sometimes Kristy's schedule. Sometimes Logan's schedule.

I do clubs or homework until 6:00. I make dinner for the family. Lately Dawn helps. We talk a lot while we make dinner. Meat for me and dad. Tofu for Dawn and Sharon. Salad for everyone.

When the phone rings, I answer.

"Spier residence, Mary Anne speaking."

I can't forget about dad's rules.

"Hi Mary Anne, is Dawn there?"

I don't know who this is. I know all of Dawn's friends.

"Who may I ask is calling?"

"This is Pres."

I don't know this boy.

"One moment, Pres. Let me find Dawn for you."

The look on my sister's face! Her blue eyes light up and red spreads across her cheeks. Dawn doesn't blush like I do, but she can still blush. She takes the call in the other room and her giggles can be heard throughout the house.

Pres must be a California boy, I decide. I know the boys at SHS.

We eat at 7:00. Big bowls of leafy greens. Perfectly sized pieces of protein. Dad's favorite is steak, while I prefer chicken. Dinner for four is better than dinner for three. Dawn talks about adjusting, while I talk about student government. We chuckle about Kristy's passion for leadership. Dad agrees that Kristy will go far in life. Sharon asks about Claudia's outfits. Dad and Sharon offer to do the dishes.

Logan shows up at 8:00. Sometimes we study in the living room. Sometimes we go to the library. Often we sit in his backseat, lips pressed together. His hands travel up my sweater, searching for the clasp to my bra. My hand finds his and pushes it away.

"Mary Aaaaannne." His drawl hasn't changed in the half decade that we've been together.

"Logan," I reply. My voice is firm yet soft.

The song and dance never changes. He wants something I will not give.

Not yet.

One day.

Maybe.

I talk with Stacey about it sometimes. She understands and lends a sympathetic ear. We whisper during student government, giggling while Kristy looks on with a scowl. We understand. We're meant to be quiet and pay attention. We're meant to be good examples. My skin turns pink. Another reason I wear so much makeup.

Logan and I say our goodbyes by 10:00. I still have homework and only an hour to do it. Lights out at 11:00. Dad's rule.

And now, the new addition to my schedule.

11:15, Dawn sneaks into my room. She wears sweatpants that have been altered into short shorts and a faded t-shirt. Even her pajamas are California Casual. My pajamas are all matched sets, covered in roses, daisies, and lilacs. She sits on my bed and I take the site of my sister in. Her tan legs seem to go on forever. Long legs and long hair. We're such a contrast.

"How was your date with Logan?" Dawn asks in a whisper.

I can tell she's asking more, but I don't push. I don't demand to know the story of the California boy, because I know one day she will spill.

And one Wednesday at 11:30, she does.

"I met someone this summer." The confession spills out of her mouth in a rush. Even in the dim light of my nightlight, I can tell that she's blushing.

"Who is he?" It's rare that I'm in a position to have wisdom over Dawn. Dawn has always been so much more than me. Dawn is a leader, something I will never be. But Dawn is not very experienced with boys and I, well, I have Logan.

"His name is Preston. Pres."

"Pres," I find that I cannot hold back my grin, "he's the one who keeps calling."

"His family has a place in Newport, by the Peninsula, where they go for the summer. We met on the beach."

A California boy! I knew it!

"He goes to Stoneybrook Academy," she continued, "like Shannon."

Wait. That means…

"He lives here? Dawn, you didn't move back to Connecticut for him, did you?" I find myself holding my breath as I wait for her answer.

"I didn't!" Dawn says, a bit too quickly. "I moved here for us. For family. For a change."

Her words sound rehearsed. I know a thing or two about rehearsed words.

"But what we had this summer...Mary Anne, I've never felt anything like that before. He understands me in a way that can't be explained. It feels like a lightening bolt whenever we touch. You never told me, you never said this is what love was like!"

I don't know what to say.

Dawn is shining. She's glowing. This boy has changed her in a fundamental way that I cannot understand.

Maybe Dawn knows something about boys that I don't.

She followed her boy across the country, and I suppose I'll be doing the same in less than a year's time. I will be following Logan to college.

After all, that's the plan.

And Mary Anne Spier always follows the plan.


End file.
